Apparatus for loading trays with cans



Jan. 5 1926.

W; E. MITTON APPARATUS FOR LOADING TRAYS WITH CANS Filed Ap 24. 1924 5Sheets-Sheet 1 William E. (121130 INVENTOR BY 6} ATTORNEY Jan. 5 1926.

W. MITTON APPARATUS FOR LOADING TRAYS WITH CANS Filed April 24, 1924' s.Sh'eets-Sheet 2 William E. r'mToq.

INVENTOR WQ/ A TTORNE Y Jan. 5 1926. I 1,568,082

w. E. MITTON APPARATUS FOR LOADING TRAYS WITH CANS Filed April 24, 1924- 5 sheets-Sheet 5,

:3 W/l/fam 15. P11773 1 IN VEN TOR BY 6y & A TTORNEY Jan. 5,1926.1,568,082

, W. E. MITTON APPARATUS FOR LOADING TRAYS W ITH CANS Filed April 24,1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 wl ul dm Mir or INVENTOR ATTORNEY Jan. 5 1926.1,568,082

/ w. E. MITTON APPARATUS FOR LOADING TRAYS WITH CANS Filed April 24,1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 William E. Nifiim INVENTOR 75 BY 2% ATTORNEYPatented Jan. '5, 1 926.. t

' UNITED S ATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM E. MITTONI, on NEW Lennon.

XVISCONSIN. ASSIGNOR TO THE BORDEN COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ACORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

APPARATUS FOR LOADING TRAYS WITH CANS.

Application filed April 24, 1924. Serial No. 708,635.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM E. MITTQN, a citizen of the United States,residing in New London, in thecounty of \Naupaca, in the State of\Visconsin, haveinvented certain new. and useful Improvements inApparatus for Loading Trays with Cans, of which the following is aspecification.

The invention relates to an improvement in apparatus for loading trayswith cans and the. like.

During the process of preserving milk and other foods in tin :ans it isnecessary, at one or more stages, to transport the tilled and sealedcans from one point to another.

To facilitate and expedite this transfer of the cans it has. been foundconvenient to load them into portable trays whu-hare carried to thepoint of delivery and then re turned. The cans are usually brought tothe point of loading into the portable trays on an endless belt orconveyor.

Theobject of the invention is to produce an improved apparatus forreceiving the cans from the conveyor and transferring them to,th'eportable trays. The apparatus is tinied to operate synchronously withthe travel of the conveyor carrying the supply of cans to be placed inthe trays, so. that there will be no interruption or delay in thecontinuous stream ofcans passing rem one point to another in' the seriesof operationstofwhich the cans are subjected in filling them with food,sealing them, sterilizing their contents and storing them away. .Incarrying out the object of the invention the cans are discharged fromthe conveyor onto a platform from which they are transferred to theportable trays. No cans are transferred from the platform to the traysuntil the requisite number of cans have been delivered to the. platform.Thus apredetermined number of cansare always placed in the trays beforethey are carried away from the apparatus. The invention is more fullydescribed hereinafter and is part icularlycpointed out. in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the preferred form of theyinvention, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the improved apparatus forloading traysfwith cans and the like; Fig.2 is an elevation of one endof the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, looking from the left; Fig. 3 is aplan of the apparatus; Fig. 4 is an enlarged section taken detail of thecircuit devices for controlling the transfm' of the cans from theplatform into the portable trays; Fig. (5 is a section taken along .theline 6-43 of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a plan of one of the electric contactcontrolling levers; Fig. 8 is an enlarged elevation. partly in section,of the solenoid controlled clutch; Fig. isa detail of a part of theclutch mechanism looking from the right in Fig. 8; and Fig. 10 is anenlarged plan of the end of the slide bar for disengaging the clutch,showing the various positions of the pin connected with the clutchduring the action of disengagement.

In the form of theinvention shown in the drawings the cans to betransferred to the portable trays are carried to the apparatus fourabreast on a continuously ,movmg conveyor belt.

The portable trays have a capacity of twenty-four cans (which is aconvenient number to handle), and consequently the platform whichreceives the cans from the conveyor-also has a capacity of twenty-fourcans, four transversely and six longitudinally. The can receivingplatform is movably mounted and the arrangement is such that whentwenty-four cans have been properly placed on the platform, the latteris moved to such position that the cans may be loaded or transferredinto a tray. Connected with the platform is a series of electricalcontacts corresponding to the four rows of cans.- These contacts are inan electric circuit which controls the .on line 4-4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 isan enlarged operation of the apparatus as a whole, and v the circuit isnot closed until the twentyfour cans are properly on the platform. Whenthe platform has received the requisite number of cans and the circuitis thereby closed the feed of the cans into the apparts return to normalposition, thereby pertus for loading portable trays with cans and thelike comprises the platform for receiving the cans 16 from the endlessconveyor belt 17, the forward end of which passes over the pulley 18mounted on theshaft 19 journaled in the frame work 20, the other endofthe conveyor not being indicated in" the drawings. The platform 15 isrectangular in plan and is located beyond the discharge end of theconveyor 17 with its longitudinal axis arranged parallel with thedirection of travel of the conveyor. Between the platform and theconveyor is a table or shelf 21 which is secured tothe uprights orstandards 22 of the main part of the apparatus and serves as a support,on which the cans are held. while those on the platform are beingtransferred into the tray. The

cans are pushed onto the platform four abreast and are discharged overone side thereof six abreast. For this purpose the platform is mountedalong one side on a bar 24 rigidly secured to a shaft 25 pivotallymounted in the standards 22. The platform is tilted by means of an arm26 (Fig. 1) secured to' one end of the shaft 25. The free end of the arm26 ispivotally connected by means of the link 27 with one end of a lever28 pivoted at 29 in the frame of the apparatus. The other end of thelever 28 carries a roll 30 arranged to engage the periphery of a cam 32mounted on a cam shaft 33'journaled at 34 on the upper ends of thestandards 22. j

The cam shaft 33 is driven from a motor 35-supported on the frame 20.The connec- .tions between the motor and the cam shaft comprise a pinion36 mounted on the motor shaft 37 and meshin with a gear 38 mou-nted onone end of a shaft 39 journaled in the block 40 supported on the motor.'The other end of the shaft 39 is provided with a pinion 41 which mesheswith a gear 42 loosely mounted on one end of the shaft 33. \Vhen thetwenty-four cans have been properly placed on the receiving platform 15,the clutch section 44 slidingly keyed on the cam shaft-33 is moved (aswill be presently explained) into engagement with the clutch section 45fixed to the gear 42, and the shaft 33 isthereby rotated with the resultthat the cans on the platform 15 are transferred to a tra I Themechanism for determining whether twenty-four cans have been properlyplaced on the platform 15 comprises a series of levers 47 pivoted at48in a guide bar 49 (supported at its ends in the standards 22) and fromone of the standards 22, an

four levers 47, each opposite a corresponding row of cans. In order thatthe foremost can 1n each row may positively engage its lever and sobring about the'operation of the machine, the cans are guided onto theplatform by means of the guide strips 50 depending transversely from theunder surfaceof a guide plate 52 pivoted at 53. to brackets 54 securedto the standards 22. The left hand row of cans (viewing Figs. 1 and 4)is guided by the downturned edge 55 of the plate 52 and the right handrow of cans isguided by the bar 24. K

Opposite the freeend of each lever 47 is located a pin 57 (Fi 7) mountedto slide in a sleeve 58 threade into the guide bar 49. In spring-pressedcontact with the head of each pin 57 is a lever 59 pivoted in the rod 60secured by the studs 61 to the guide bar 49. The lower ends of thelevers 59 are pressed outwardly (to hold the upper ends in engagementwith the pins 57) by means of the outer ends of the contact springs 62secured to a bat-ti of insulating material supported from the lower endsof the studs 61. Discs 67 of insulating material are interposed betweenthe contact springs (32 and the levers 59. Located opposite the outerends of the contact springs 62 are the contact pins 64 connected withthe wire sections 65. As the foremost can of each rowof cans is pushedagainst the free end of its lever 47 by the succeeding cans, the outwardmovement of the pins 57 causes the lower ends of the levers 59 to moveinwardly and press the ends of the contact springs (32 against the pins64 thereby closing the circuit through the wire 65. It will be seen thatthis arrangem'ent is such that the circuit through the Wire 65 is notcompletely closed until the first can ineach row is in engagement withits lever 47, that is, the circuit is not closed unless all thetwenty-four cans (or any otlrer predetermined number) are in 'properposition on the platform 15.

The closing of the circuit through the wire 65 energizes a solenoid 66su ported cases the armature 68 to rise, as shown in Fig.

8, and strike the plate 70 secured to the outer end of a lever 71pivoted to a bracket 72 secured to the frame of the apparatus.

TI on the deener ization of. the solenoid 66 by the breaking'of thecircuit throlwh the wire 65 by the spring contacts 62', tie armature 68drops onto the cushion 73 supported on the bracket. 74. When the :upperend of the armature 68 raises the outer end of the lever 71, itdepresses the inner end of the lever which is loosely engaged I in aslide bar 75, adapted to slide in a vertieall arran ed uide box 76secured y o e to the bracket 78. The slide bar 75 is norlever 71 mallypre ssed upwardly by means of the expansion spring 79 into the path ofretation of a pin 80 fixed inthe shdin clutch section 44 to thereby keepthe teeth of the clutch section 44 out of engagement with the teeth ofthe clutch section 45.

The de ression of the inner end of the y the upward movement of thearmature 68 when the circuit through the wire 65 is closed disengagesthe upper end of the slide bar- 75 from the pin 80 and permits theexpansion spring 82 .to-force the clutch section 44 into engagement withthe clutch section 45 and'thereby cause the.-

actuation of thevarious parts of the apparatus from the rotation of thecam shaft 33. When the cans have been discharged fromthe platform 15,the springs 62 are thereby permitted to become disengaged from the pins64; the circuit through the wire 65 is broken and the armature 68 dropsto its ino )erative position. There-' upon the "sprin 9 act's-to pushthe upper end of the sli e bar into'thepath of rotation of the pin 80.It will be seen by 10 that the upper end of the slide bar 75 is providedwith a cam surface 83. .As the pin rotates'it strikes the cam surface 83and the clutch section44 is thereby disengaged from the clutch section45. This results in a substantially instantaneous stopping of theapparatus by reason of the a cam 85 mounted action of the brake 84(supported fromthe lower end to an angle iron 89', secured to the top ofthe plate 52, and at its upper end to one end of a lever 90 pivoted at29. The other end of the lever 90 carries a cam roll 92 in engagementwith the eriphery of the cam .87. The plate 52 ten s to descend by Igravity and so hol d" the roll 92 against the cam 87. Vhen theactivepart of the cam 87 is carried by the rotation of the shaft 33against the roll 92 the plate 52 is lifted to remove the guides 55 and50 out of the path of travel of the cans. 5 v

Substantially simultaneously with the rise of the plate 52 the latform15 is tilted into the position shown y dotted'lines in Fig. 4. Thiscauses the forward or free end of the platform to descend intothe tray94 which has been carried by the conveyor chain 95 into position underthe platform and which is temporarily held in that position by means ofthe movable stop 96 secured to the free mounted on the cam shaft 33.

end of the arm 97 mountedonthe shaft 98. The conveyor chain 95 carriesthe empty trays 94 forward by frictional engagement therewith so thatwhen a tray. encounters the stop 96 it is held thereby while the.conveyor chain 95 continues 'its forward movement. The conveyor chainis mounted on sprocket wheels '93 supported from brackets 99' at theforward and rear ends of the apparatus, as shown in Fig. 1. The conveyorchain is driven'from the sprocket wheel 100 (Fig. 2) secured to the gear42. The connections between the sprocket wheel 100 and the shaft 101 atthe forwardend of the conveyor chain comprise a chain 102,the lower endof which passesover a'sprocket 103 mounted on the outer end of a shafton' which the gear 104 is mounted, the shaft being journaled in abracket 105 supported from thestandard 22. The gear 104 meshes with agear 106 mounted on the outer end of a shaft 107 journaled in thebracket 105. On the inner end .of the shaft 107 is a sprocket 109connected by the chain 108 with a the shaft 101. 1

As the plate 52 rises and the platform 15 decends, the stop 96 isremoved from in front of the tray 94 so as to permit. the tray to becarried forward with the cans when they are discharged from theplatform. .The arm 97 on which the stop 96 is'mounted is connected withthe guide plate 52 by meansof the arm 110 and the link-111.

The arrangement is such that when the plate 52 rises the stop 96descends outof the path of travel of the tray; and when the plate 52descends into normal position, the stop 96 rises to hold the nextsucceeding tray on the chain in position under the platform.

- The means for discharging the cans from the platform and transferringthem into the tray comprises push'er'arms 113 having 'a transverselyarranged head 114 adapted to engage the cans and push them off theplatform into the tray-beneath. The arms 113 are pivotally connectedwith the lower ends of the arms 115secured to a shaft 116,

to which the arm 117 is also secured, there-- by forming a bell crank.The arm117 is.

pivotally connected with the eccentric rod 118 adjustably secured to theeccentricstrap 119 which embraces an eccentric 120 Secured to shaft'116is a counterweight. 123. As the forward end ofthe platform 15 descendsinto the empty tray 94, the eccentric 120 operates to cause the pusherhead 114 to.

sweep the cans off the platform and into the tray. As the pusherhead 114sweeps over the platform 15, the first row of cans engage with the innerside 'of the front wall of the tray 94 and push the tray forward withthem so that the succeeding rows of cans will fall into place inthetray, which action will be clearly understood by reference to the dottedlines in Fig. 4. 'lhe forward travel of tray-94 under the action of cansunder the action of the pusher. The

tray of cans between the holding devices thus acts as, a frictional stopagainst which the tray receiving the cans is pushed. The modeofoperation of this arrangement is such that it is assured that therearmost row of cans will properly drop into place in the tray beingfilled.

When twenty-four cans have been pushed onto the platform 15 by theconveyor belt 17 and the apparatus is thereby caused to function, thefeed of the cans from the conveyor 17 onto the platform 15 istemporarily stopped while the twenty-four cans on the platform are beingtransferred into their tray. The means for holding back thecans beingpushed forward by' the conveyor belt 17 comprises a series of plungerhead's 129 mounted on the lower ends of vertically arranged rodsl130which pass through a cross bar 131 a pd are pinned thereto. The

ends of the cross bar 131 are slidingly.

mounted on the vertically arranged rods 132 secured on the standards 22,by the studs 143. The upper ends of the rods 130 pass. loosely through asecond cross bar 133, the,

ends ofwhich slide on the rods 132. Surround ing,each rod 130 andinterposed between the cross bars 131 and 133 is a compressionspring134. Secured to the bar 133 is a yoke 135 pivotally connected by a link136 with one end of a lever 138 pivotally mounted on a bracket 139rising from the frame of the apparatus. the lever 138 carries acam roll14( in engagement with the periphery of cam 85. lVhen the predeterminednumberv of cans have been pushed onto the platform by the a ready on theconveyor and the circuit through the wire has been thereby closed andthe shaft 33 started in rotation, the cam 85 causes the plunger heads129 to descend upon the foremost row of cans on the shelf 21 and therebyprevent any 'more'cans from being pushed onto the platform while those:11-

platform are being removed therefrom and placed in the tray beneath. Theconnections between the plunger heads 129 and the cross bars 131'and-133 result in the lunger heads being yieldingly .pressed againstthetops of the cans. Then the cans have been discharged from theplatform and it has again risen toits horizon-' tal position,

the inactive or depressed part of cam 85 moves opposite cam roll 140,and thereupon the springs 142 interposed between the outer ends of thecross bar 131 and devices 126 until it is ejected The other end of.

the lower studs 143 'force the parts connected with the plungerheads 129upwardly into normal position, thereby permitting the cans on theintermediate platform 21 to be pushed onto the platform 15 by the canson the conveyor.- '7

The mode of operation 'of the apparatus may be briefly recapitulated asfollows The cans to be placed in the portable trays and carried forwardin a continuous line, four abreast, and pushed over the shelf '21 ontothe tilting platform 15, the guide strips v 50 and 55 and the block 24acting to properly direct the foremost can in each row against a lever47. In the mean time, the conveyor chain 95 has acted to carr forward atray and position it beneath t e platform and against the movable stop96. When six cans in each row have been pushed onto the platform, thefirst can in each row presses the corresponding lever 47 into the slot16 against the sliding pin" 57, thereby rocking the levers 59 so as toforce. the outer ends of the contact springs 62 against the pins .64-and close the circuit through the solenoid 66. Thereupou the armature 68rises and swings the lever 71 so as to disengage the slide 75 from thepin to permit the spring 82 to force the clutch section 44 intoengagement with the clutch section 45, and thereby et in operation thevarious means for trans erring the cans from the platform into the tray94. The feed of the cans from the conveyor onto the platform istemporarily halted by the descent of the plunger heads 129 on theforemost row of cans on the shelf 21. At about the same time theplatform 15 is tilted on its axis and the guide plate 52 is raised. Asthe guide plate 52 rises the stop 96 is depressed to release the tray,and then the pusher head 114 is moved longitudinally of the platform 15,and sweeps the cans oil the platform into the tray, at the same timemoving the tray forward so that all the cans will be properly depositedtherein. As the filled tray is pushed forward by the pusher 114, itencounters the next preceding filled tray held by the friction devices126 and pushes it forward disengaging it from the holding devices, so asto permitthe workman to remove 1t. The pusher head 114 then retreatsleaving the freshly filled tray between the holding devices 126. Theretarding action of the filled tray in the holding devices upon the traybeing-filled andpushed forward by the pusher 114 aids in the properdeposition of the last row of cans in the tray. As the pusher 114retreats, the platform 15 returns tion, the stop 96 is raised to catchand hold the next succeeding tray on the conveyor chain 95.

Having thus described the invention what I claim as new is v 1. Anapparatus for loading trays wit-hcans and the like comprising, aplatform for receiving the cans to be transferred to the tray, means formoving the platform into position so that the cans may be transferredtherefrom into the tray, means for removing the cans from the platformand placin them in the tray, actuating means, a solenoi for controllingthe operation ofthe actuating means, said solenoid being in a normallyopen circuit, which is closed when the pre-' moving the cans from theplatform and placing them in thetray, and means for preventing themovement of the platform and the removal of the cans therefrom until thepredetermined number of cans are on the platform.

3. An apparatus for loading trays with cans and the like comprising, aplatform movable to one position to receive the cans, meansfor placing apredetermined number of cans on the platform, means for lormgmg atray'into position to receive the cans from the platform, means formoving the platform to another position so that the cans may be removedtherefrom, means for re" moving the cans from the platform and plac mgthem in the'tray, and means for preventing the transfer of the-cans fromthe platform to the tray until a predetermined num her of cans are onthe platform.

4. An apparatus for loading trays with cans andthe like comprising, apivotally mounted platform,'means for placing a predetermined number ofcans on the plat-' forni, means for bringing a tray into position underthe platform, means for tilting the platformto bring the free endthereof into the tray,-1neans for pushing the cans oil the platform intothe tray, and means for preventing the operation of the apparatus untilthepredetermined. number of cans-have been placed on the platform. I

5. An apparatus for loading trays with cans. and the like comprising, aplatform pivotally mounted at one end, means for placing predeterminednumber of cans on the platform, means for-placing a tray means fortilting the beneath the free end of the platform, means for tilting theplatform to bring the free end thereof into the tray, and means forpushing the cans from the. platform into the tray. Y 1

6. An apparatus for loading trays with cans' and the like comprising; aplatform pivotally mounted at one end, means for placing a predeterminednumber of cans on the platform, a conveyor for frictionally carryingforward a tray to receive the cans, means for temporarily holding thetray under the free end of the platform, means for tilting the platformtobring the free end thereof into the tray, means for releasing thetray,,and means for pushing the cans off the platforminto the tray,saidpushing means acting to move the tray for-h ward as it places thecans therein.

'7. An apparatus for loading trays with cans and the like comprising, aplatform pivotally mounted at one end, means for placing a n'edeterminednumber of cans on the plat orm, a conveyor for frictionallycarrying'forward a tray to receive the cans, means for temporarilyholding the tray in position under the free end of the platform, latformtoward the tray, means for releasing the tray, means for pushing thecans off the'platform into the tray, and frictional holdin devices inthe path of travel of the filled tray, said pushing means acting tocarry the tray with the cans therein between the holding devices.

8. An apparatus for loading trays with cans and the like comprising, apivotally mounted platform, means for placing the cans to be transferredtothe tray on the platform, a conveyor for carrying forward a tray,means for holding the tra in position to receive the cans, means ortilting the platform so that the cans may be transferred into the tray,means for releasing the tray, and means for removing the cans from theplatform and placing them in the tray. i

means for placing on the platform the cans to be transferred to thetray, a conveyor for An apparatus for loading trays with I cans and thelike comprising, a platform,

carrying forward a tray to receive the cans,

means r holding the tray in position to receive the cans,.means forreleasing the tray, and means for moving the tray forward by pushingthecans from the platform into the tray.

10. An apparatus for loading trays with cans and the like comprising, \a'pivotally 1 mounted platform for receiving the .cans to 1 betransferred to the tray, means for bolding a tray in position under "theplatform to receive the cans therefrom, means for tilting the platform,means for releasing the tray, and means acting longitudinally of theplatform for removing the cans from the platform and pushing them intothe tray, said pushing means acting to carry the tray forward as it deosits the cans therein.

11. An apparatus or loading trays with cans and the like comprising,means for conveyingthe cans to be transferred to the trays into theapparatus, pivotally mounted means for receiving a predetermined numathe receiving means, means for tilting the. receiving means, means fortransferring the her of cans from the conveying means, means for holdinga tray 1n ositlon under cans from the receiving means into the tray, andmeans for preventing the operation of the apparatus until apredetermined number of cans have been placed on the receiving means.

, 12. An apparatus for loading trays with cans andthe like comprising, amovable platform, a conveyor for carrying forward a series of cans andpushing them onto the platform, means for placing a tray under theplatform to receive the cans, means for moving the platform so that thecans may N be removed therefrom, means for. transferring the cans fromthe platform into the tray, solenoid controlled means for actuat ing thetransferring means, a solenoid, and

' contact devices arranged to close the circuit 7 through the solenoidwhen a predetermined number of cans have been placed on the platform andthe contact devices are engag-ed thereby. A i 13. An apparatus forloading trays with cansiand 'e like comprising, a pivotally mounted patform, a conveyor'for carrying forward a series of cans and pushingthem onto the platform, means for placing a tray under the latferm toreceive the cans, means for tilting the platform, means for removing thecans from the platform? and placing them in a tray, solenoid controlledmeans for actuating the moving parts of the apparatus, a solenoid andcontact de-' vices in -the circuit through the solenoid arranged: toclose the circuit" when a predetermined number of cans have been placedon the platform and the contact devices have been engaged thereby.

14. An 'apparatus'for loading trays with cans and the like comprising, amovable platform, a conveyor for carrying forward 7 a seriesof cans andpushing them onto the form,

meaes'a solenoid, and a series of levers, each of which is opposite arow of cans for oper-' ating the contact devices to close the circuitwhen each lever is engaged by the first can in each row.,

. 15. An ap aratus for loadingctrays with cans and t e like comprising,a platform, a shelf, a conveyor for carrying forward a series of cansand pushing them over the shelf and onto the platmeans for holding atray in position under the platform, means for transferring the cansfrom the platform into'the tray, and means disposed above the shelf andarranged to descend upon a row of cans on the shelf to hold back th eline of cans on the conveyor while the cans on the platform are beingtransferred to the tra i An apparatus for loading trays with cans andthe like com risiiig, a movable platform; a conveyor. or pushing apredetermined number of cansonto the platform, means for holding a trayunder the platform, solenoid controlled means for actuating the movableparts of the apparatus, a solenoid in a normally open circuit, means forclosing the circuit when the predetermined number of cans have beenproperly positioned on the platform, said actuating means being therebycaused to actuatez means for holding back .the line of cans from theconveyor, means for moving the platform into position to discharge thecans into the tray, means for releasing the tray, andmeans for pushingthe cans from the platform into the tray.

17. An apparatus for loading trays with cans and the like comprising, amovable platform, means for conveying apredetermined number of cans ontothe platform, means for placing a tray under the platform, means formoving the latform so that the cans may be remove therefrom into thetray, and means for pushing and thereby causing the :cans to slide offthe platform and into the tray.

18. An a paratus for loading trays with cans and the like comprising, aplatform pivoted at one side, a conveyor for pushing a series of cansonto the platform over one end thereof, means for tilting the platformto bring the free end thereof into a tray, and means acting transverselyof the platform for pushing the cans from the platform into the tray. 719. An apparatus for loading trays with cans and the like comprising, aplatform pivoted at one side, a plate pivoted at one side above theplatform, said plate having guides depending therefrom toward theplatform, -a conveyor for pushing forward a series of cans onto theplatform, said guides acting to separate the cans into rows, means fortilting the free side of the platform dowmvardly, means for tilting thefree end engage of the plate upwardly to disthe guides from the cans,and means for pushing the cans off the platform into a tray.

20. An apparatus for loading trays with cans and the like comprising, amovable platform, a movable guide plate located above the platform andhaving guides to direct the cans onto the platform, a conveyor forcarrying forward a series of cans and pushing them onto the platform,means for placing and temporarily holding a tray them in the tray, meansfor determining whether a predetermined number of cans have been placedon the platform, and actuating means, said actuating means remaininginoperative until the predetermined number of cans have been placed' onthe platform.

' WILLIAM E. MITTON.

